Brake.



Patented July 8, I902.

J. G. ALEXANDER.

BRAKE.

{Application filed Jan. 4. 1902.)

(No Model.)

NITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES G. ALEXANDER, OF FAIRFIELD, IOVA.

BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION farming part of Letters Patent No. 704,229, dated July 8,

Application filed January 4, 1902. Serial No. 88,400.

To all whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES GALEXANDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fairfield, in the county of Jefferson and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of brakes comprising a single brake lever or handle by the manipulation of which the locking-pawl is released from its locking engagement with the usual toothed segment or rack-bar and the brake mechanism thus thrown off or released. Heretofore it has been the common practice in this class of brakes to employ a loose gravity as well as a spring-actuated or depressed locking pawl having a reduced lower end designed to engage with any one of a series of teeth formed on either a straight or segmental locking-bar. By experience I have found that in such constructions of brakes when the same are ap plied or on the strain on the pawl as imparted thereto from the brake'shoes through the intermediary connections is such as to render a release of the brakes through a ma' nipulation of the single brake-lever to cause an elevation of the locking-pawl an exceedingly difficult operation, more especially in heavy wagons and when the brakes are hard set, the pawls in such cases being jammed tightly against a tooth, which latter many times becoming undercut from wear successfully resists the efforts of the driver.

The principal objects of my invention are to obviate the above-enumerated objections without an increase of cost and without any sacrifice of simplicity, which I accomplish in a manner hereinafter particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, in which I have illustrated my improved brake in elevation, it will be seen that the lever, as is usual, is composed of two members, the lower lever member A and the upper handle member B, the latter being pivoted by a bolt B upon the outer face of the former, which it overlaps. The lower end of the handle member may have one of its lower corners-the rear cut away, as at a, its front corner forming an angular shoulder ct. Immediately above its lower end the handle member may be pro- (No model.)

vided with a segmental slot (t the same being formed on the arc of a circle, the center of which would be the pivot-bolt or fulcrum B". Through this slot extends a stop-pin a that extends from the face of the lower or lever member A, whereby the vibrations of the lever member are limited, as will be obvious. The lower or lever member A is fulcrumed at its lower end upon a pin or bolt 0 and above this point is attached to the brake rod or chain D.

E designates the locking-bar, the same being preferably curved concentric with the bolt or pin 0. The lever member A may have a loose sliding connection with the locking-bar by means of an ordinary keeper 0, mounted on the lever and loosely embracing the lower edge of said bar. It is usual to provide the upper edge of this locking-bar with a series of radiating or inclined, and therefore tangentially-disposed, teeth, with which the locking-pawl, usually of V shape, is designed to engage. In this instance, however, Iprovide the said upper edge of the locking-bar with a series of arc-shaped recesses (1, formed at intervals,said recesses preferably being slightly less than half-round.

Above the locking-bar O and between it and the lower end of the handle member B there is intermediately pivoted, by a bolt f on the face of the lever member A, a lockingpawl F, preferably of the gravity type. At its front upper corner is produced a vertical shoulder f, which abuts against and is designed to be operated upon by the angular shoulder ct of the lever member B, such op eration and a consequent tilting of the pawl being accomplished by a vibration to the rear of the upper end of the lever member B. The locking-pawlF, instead of, as is usual, having its lower end reduced to'form a tooth-engag ing end, has mounted thereon a loose friction wheel or roller G, an axis 9 projecting from the face of the pawl for its accommodation. The wheel G has its axis out of vertical alinement with the pivot of the pawl F and is of a diameter substantially'agreeing with that of the arc of the circle upon which the recesses d are formed.

The operation of my improved brake does not materially differ from that of other brakes of this class. It will be observed that the re cesses dare of sufficient depth to engage the wheel or roller G of the pawl, which latter, in

the usual manner, becomes jammed in its locked position by the stress of the brake rod or chain. To throw ofi the brake at any time, no matter how hard it may be set, it is sirnply necessary to vibrate the handle member, whereupon the shoulder a thereof, acting against the shoulder of the locking-pawl, will vibrate the latter, thus raising the lower en gaging wheel or roller from the adjacent recess in the locking-bar. This action, unlike that of the usual pawl and rack, can be readily accomplished by reason of the substantially semicircular recess d and the roller G, and yet at the same time the locking of the parts is just as efiicient. 7

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. Abrake mechanism, comprising, alower fulcrumed member, an upper handle member pivoted intermediately thereon and extending thereabove, a pawl intermediately pivoted on the said fulcrumed member and below the handle member and adapted to be vibrated thereby, a loose roller at the lower free end of the pawl, and a locking-bar below the pawl and provided with recesses substantially agreeing with the said loose roller of the pawl and adapted to receive the same.

2. A brake mechanism, comprising, a lower fulcr-u med member, an upper handle member pivoted thereon and extending thereabove, a. pawl pivoted on the said fulcrumed member and adapted to be vibrated by the said handle member, a loose roller carried by the free end of the pawl, and a locking-bar below the pawl and provided with recesses for engaging the said loose roller.

3. A brake mechanism, comprising, a lower fulcrumed member, an upper handle member overlapping the upper end of and intermediately'pivoted to the lower fulcrumed member, and terminating at its lower end in a shoulder and provided above the same with a segmental slot, a pin projecting from the lower member and engaging the slot, a looselypivoted gravity-pawl mounted on the lower member and provided at its upper end with a shoulder located in the path of that of the upper handle member and adapted to be struck thereby, a loose roller mounted on the lower free end of the pawl, and a curved lockingbar provided with a series of substantially semicircular recesses of substantially the same diameter as the roller and adapted to engage the same.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES G. ALEXANDER.

WVitnesses:

LEE T. GoBBLE, J. E. ROTH. 

